Pencil-sharpener



J. H. JONES.

PENGIL SHARPENER.

No. 429,689. Patented June 10,1890.

. wees/e V I I M M1145 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB H. JONES, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PENClL-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,689, dated June 10,1890. Application filed February 1, 1.890. Serial No. 338,881. (Nomodel.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, JACOB H. JONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPencil-Sharpeners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has reference to rotary sharpeners for slate-pencils.

It is well known that pencil-Sharpeners have been provided in which thepencil has been held and made to revolve against the inclined interiorsurface of a cylindrical shell.

The object of my invention is to improve such devices by providing anadjustable pencil-holder which will grasp the pencil more firmly and atthe same time permit it to be inserted and withdrawn with greaterfacility.

A further object is to produce a device which will limit the extent ofgrinding, so that too much of the pencil cannot be ground away andwasted.

A still further object of my invention is to produce means for the easyremoval of a broken portion of the pencil and also the pencil-dust thataccumulates within the interior of the cylinder.

A still further object is to so construct the exterior of the sharpenerthat a child can grasp and hold it with greater certainty while rotatingthe pencil.

\Vith these ends in View my invention consists in the peculiar featuresand combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents aperspective view of my device; Fig. 2, a Vertical section in which thepencil is shown just commencing to be sharpened; Fig. 3, a similar viewshowing the operation completed, and Fig. 4 a modification.

A represents a hollow body or box having an octagonal exterior to forman uneven surface, whereby the operator can obtain a better purchase orhold upon it. The bottom of the box is entirely closed, with theexception of a small hole B, placed so as to register with above.

the vertical aperture 0 through the pencil- ,resiliency of this springgives it a constant tendency to contract, whereby the pencil is heldsecurely within the aperture of the holder, at the same time permittingit to be withdrawn and inserted with facility. The holder passes througha radial oblong slot J in the free end of the bridge K, secured to thetop or cover by means of the fasteningscrew F. The free end of thebridge rests upon a seat L, and is held thereon by the lugs M. Thepencil-holder is held within the slot by means of a flange N upon thebottom.

The oblong slot J through the cover registers with the slot J in thebridge K. These slots enable the pencil-holder to move toward and fromits axis to accommodate Wearing away of the point. The outer end of theslot J and. the holder are so arranged relatively to each other as toarrest the outward movement of the holder when the pencil has beenreduced to a sharp point, thereby preventing needless wear, waste, andlabor.

In using my invention the operator first inserts the pencil within thevertical aperture in the split holder, and the resiliency of the ringwill hold the pencil securely therein throughout the sharpeningoperation. The pencil is in proper adjustment within the holder when itsinner end rests upon the bottom of the box at the base of thegrindingsurface, and when so placed the operator grasps the irregularsurface of the box with one hand and the holder with the other andrapidly rotates the latter, which carries the cover with it. As thepencil becomes worn down to a point, the holder gradually moves withinthe radial slot away from the axis of the cover until its peripheryreaches the outer walls of the oblong slot, whereupon the pencil will besharpened.

In Fig. L a modification is shown in which a handle is secured to thebottom of the box, and the bridge K is dispensed with. The pencil-holderis also provided with a flange, which is arranged to come in contactwith the interior wall of the box, the same as the periphery of theholder comes in contact with the outer wall of the radial slot at thecompletion of the point upon the pencil. It is also evident that manyother slight changes which might suggest themselves to a skilledmechanic could be resorted to without dcparting from the spirit andscope of my invention. Therefore I do not limit myself to the exactconstruction shown.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

'1. In a penoil-sharpener,a box or body portion provided with agrinding-surface, in combination with a rotary cover provided with aradial slot and a holder located within said slot and movable toward andfrom the axis of the cover, in the manner and for the purposesubstantially as described.

2. In a Peneilsharpener, the combination of a box or body portionprovided with an annular grinding-surface, a rotary pencilholderarranged to move toward and from the axis of the circle in which ittravels, said holder being provided with a contractingring, and means,substantially as described, for limiting the outward movement of theholder when the point is finished, as set forth.

3. In a'pencil-sharpener, a box or body provided with an annulargrinding-surface, in combination with a pencil-holder arranged to rotateabove and hold the pencil against said surface, said holder havingoutward limited play, whereby its movement will be arrested when thepoint is finished, in the manner substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB II. JONES. Witnesses:

.ToHN PHELAN, J. 11. ARMSTRONG.

